Driving advice for motorists issued ahead of Creamfields 2016

The M56 around Runcorn is expected to be busy at certain times during the Creamfields festival towards the end of August.

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DRIVERS heading for a Halton dance music festival are being advised to plan their journey as tens of thousands of revellers flock to the borough.

Creamfields will be held at the Daresbury Estate from 2pm on Thursday, August 25, until 11pm on Sunday, August 28.

Highways England (HE) is advising drivers that traffic is likely to be busy around the M56 and M6 over these dates.

Those travelling to the site are being advised to plan their journey and leave plenty of time to get to the festival site near Runcorn, just off junction 11 of the M56.

Extra police and HE traffic officers will be deployed around junction 11 of the M56 at Daresbury to deter festival goers from walking on the motorway, which an HE spokesman said was ‘an issue’ in previous festivals, particularly at the end of the event.

Drivers are also being reminded that anyone stopping on the motorway hard shoulder or live lanes to drop off or pick up concert-goers risks an on-the-spot fine of £30.

Anyone caught walking anywhere along the motorway carriageway also risks being fined £50.

Chris Chadwick, HE’s events planning manager, said: “We will be doing all we can to manage traffic around the event and keep drivers on the move – festival goers and other drivers can help themselves by planning their journeys and keeping themselves up to date with traffic information.

“We would like to remind everyone that the motorway is no place for pedestrians – it is dangerous and illegal and having pedestrians on the network can cause delays for legitimate motorway users.

“Drivers wanting to pick people up should use the dedicated collection points off the motorway network which will be clearly signed.”

Car parks will open at noon on Thursday and close at 2pm on Monday.

Motorists are being advised not to use the M62 and travel through Widnes over the Silver Jubilee Bridge to reach the event due to roadworks for the Mersey Gateway.

Event-goers travelling from the north, south and east of the venue will be directed to use junction 11 of the M56, while those heading from the west will be directed to use junction 12.

Highways England traffic officers will use electronic motorway signs across the area’s network to guide festival goers to the site and give information on any incidents or congestion.

Meanwhile, other road users are being advised that the M56 around junctions 10, 11 and 12 around Runcorn are ‘likely’ to be busy at key times.

The M56 interchange with the M6 is also likely to experience higher volumes of traffic.

Drivers can get up-to-the-minute traffic information by calling HE’s customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000 or by checking www.highways.gov.uk/traffic